CONSHOHOCKEN — Conshohocken may not have been at the crossroads of a California firefighter’s coast-to-coast bike ride, but Conshohocken Fire Chief Steve Phipps was determined to make the stop a memorable one nonetheless.

On a 3,500-mile cycling mission to raise money for his quadriplegic sister, John Byrne, an engineer with CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire Station in Nipomo, Calif., had left the Golden Gate Bridge on the morning of Sept. 9, with a goal of culminating his cross-country adventure at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Oct. 14.

In between the two landmarks, Byrne’s journey would breeze him through fire station stopovers in El Dorado, Kan.; Athens, Ohio; Ellenboro, W.Va and — two days before putting on the brakes of his Kuota triathlon beauty for the last time — Conshohocken.

Phipps set up the most comfortable cot he could find for his guest at the Washington Fire Company No. 1 for an overnight stay on Friday.

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“Somebody knew somebody who contacted me and asked if I could give him a hand,” Phipps said. “They’re trying to cut his costs as much as possible by contacting the different fire companies across the country. When you’re staying at a hotel room for $100 a night at 30 different places you’re talking three grand. The little part I can do is provide him with a cot and a couple of meals and help him get on his way.”

Phipps planned on showing Byrne the tribute that mourners had crafted from candles, photos, flags and flowers in memory of Officer Bradley Fox along the Schuylkill River Trail in Plymouth.

“I want him to see the makeshift memorial for Officer Fox and explain to him what happened, that we had an officer lost in the line of duty and I’m sure he’ll be concerned about that because he’s in public service also,” Phipps said. “This area took a big hit. We have to take care of our own first, but I’m doing everything I can to help John on his trip also. The man is driving 100 plus miles at a time for 30 consecutive days and that takes a toll on you.”

Phipps was also planning to welcome Byrne with a police and fire escort.

The amiable Byrne had just pulled into the town of Smithsburg, Md. on Wednesday afternoon and was looking forward to grabbing some grub and a shower at the local fire house — the comforts were arranged by San Diego-based CAL FIRE captain Tony Hernandez, who was following Byrne in a back-up vehicle — when he took some time out to talk about his expedition.

“I wasn’t able to train as much for this trip as I would have liked to,” admitted the New Jersey native and avid bike rider. “The idea happened within a few hours and was a reality within a day.”

Byrne was proving he would pedal practically to the end of the earth to help his 22-year-old sister Lauren Byrne, who suffered a devastating spinal cord injury in a swimming accident seven years ago.

By embarking on his 36-day trek from San Francisco to New York, the wheelchair-bound community college student’s older brother planned to raise enough money on “Lauren’s Ride” to purchase her a specialized vehicle with hand controls that would offer Lauren a new standard of independence as a disabled person.

“My sister has always inspired me in my life,” Byrne said. “Back in April I had just become a Big Brother and started thinking that I could do more for her. I realized I could ride across the United States and stay at fire stations to save money so that more money could be donated to Lauren. If I met so many people all across the country who would donate just $5 or $10 I would reach the amount of money needed to get her a vehicle.”

Byrne casually tossed his intentions onto Facebook that spring evening and within 10 minutes he had an offer from a woman who wanted to create a website for his cause.

Money started pouring in from supporters, even though the project was still just a glimmer in his heart at that point.

The overwhelming response got him to wondering if he wasn’t being just a little bit impulsive.

“I had just been promoted to engineer and was on probation and didn’t know if I could even get the time off from work,” the 26-year-old Byrne recalled. “I also wondered if my body could really sustain the ride for that long. But this took on a life of its own after the Facebook post. And every part of this trip after that has been life-changing for me.

I’ve seen the most beautiful things from so many people all over the United States,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what age, what background. The support we’ve gotten has been unbelievable. I have two quarters on my bike right now donated by children and I told them I would ride with the quarters on there until I reached the end.”

Even before he put foot to pedal, a guy he met in a California coffee shop wrote him out a check on the spot for $250, Byrne said.

“And that’s how this whole thing has gone from the beginning.”

Byrne has been tracking his progress with photos and comments at www.laurensride.org, where donations can also be made.

Between the money he’s collected on his route, which he tackles in 100-mile increments, and online, he’s raised more than $50,000 for his sister.

“From the beginning we decided that 100 percent of the money would go to Lauren and her independence. As far as the trip goes, we have corporate sponsorships that have donated money for the expenses that come up,” Byrne explained.

He was looking forward to the last leg of his adventure in Freehold, N.J., where his grandfather, John Quigg, had served as a firefighter.

“I was named after him but I never knew him because he passed away before I was born,” said Byrne, who was anticipating a much-needed rest driving back to the west coast with Hernandez, his right hand man, in the rental car.

“Tony’s done the job of five guys, calling up the fire stations for me to stay, and when I could hardly move he called a chiropractor,” Byrne said with a chuckle. “I’ve gone through two or three massages along the way and it’s made it a lot easier.”

The journey that began out of concern for a loved one has touched him in unexpected ways, he confessed.

“I told my sister in the beginning that my idea was to help her, but I had no idea how it would change my life too.”